President Arif Alvi. PHOTO: RADIO PAKISTAN/FILE
This year, the Day was observed in Pakistan, both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and other parts of the world at a time when Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir have reached a new level of oppression and human rights' denial to crush the indigenous freedom movement against the subjugating forces.
On the occasion, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that all freedom-loving people should stand by the Kashmiris in their struggle for freedom from Indian occupation. He said that the Indian army was not fighting insurgents but an entire population in the occupied territory.
"The brutality of Indian security forces in Occupied Kashmir has rallied all Kashmiris together in their demand for freedom from Indian Occupation. The Indian army is not fighting insurgents but an entire people in IOK. All freedom loving ppl in the world must stand with Kashmiris," Khan wrote on social media website Twitter.
Reiterating Pakistan's unwavering political, diplomatic and moral support for the people of Kashmir, President Dr Arif Alvi put forward eight demands to India in his address to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
He demanded of India to immediately release all political prisoners in occupied Kashmir, allow freedom of speech to the Kashmiris, halt the use of firearms as well as pellet guns against the innocent Kashmiri people in the occupied valley, and withdraw aggressive black laws.
The government has planned a number of activities to mark the day and expose massive human rights violations being committed by brutal Indian forces to suppress indigenous freedom movement of the people of Kashmir. A one-minute silence was observed at 10 am to pay tribute to Shuhada of Kashmir.
Nation observes Kashmir Day with renewed pledges
A human chain was formed at D Chowk in the federal capital as large number of people of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) gathered here to mark the Day. The human chains were also formed on all connecting points of Pakistan and AJK like Kohala, Holar, Azad Pattan and Mirpur.
Several rallies were brought out in big and small cities and towns in the country by various political parties as well as social welfare organisations and labour unions. Seminars, debates, declamation contests and exhibitions were also held to highlight Indian atrocities against the Kashmiri people.
In Muzaffarabad, addressing a special session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, President Dr Arif Alvi reiterated Pakistan's unwavering political, diplomatic and moral support for the people of Kashmir in their just struggle for the right of self-determination.
He demanded of India to immediately release all political prisoners in occupied Kashmir and allow the freedom of speech. He urged India to halt the use of firearms, including the pallet guns against innocent Kashmiri people in the occupied valley, and withdraw black laws and lift travel restrictions on the leadership of occupied Kashmir.
The special session of AJK Legislative Assembly was also addressed by AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider. For the first time, Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman and members of Gilgit Baltistan Cabinet also attended the special session.
Alvi said that the Indian-Occupied Kashmir belonged to Kashmiris and they had all the right to decide about their future—a right also recognised through the UN Security Council resolutions he added that India could not succeed in suppressing the innocent people through the unprecedented atrocities.
"The freedom spirit of any nation cannot be suppressed by force," he said and mentioned the freedom struggle of the Palestinians. "The more India will suppress the freedom spirit, struggle and desire of Kashmiri people, the more it will rise," he remarked.
He regretted that the Indian government also continued to use the Kashmir dispute for its domestic politicking and for securing the Hindu vote in elections. He said India would also not succeed in its efforts to change the demography of Kashmir by settling the Hindu community in occupied Kashmir.
The President referred to the recent UN Human Rights Report about the situation in Occupied Kashmir and said India could no more hide its aggressions and atrocities in occupied valley from the eyes of world community.
The President said the deployment of 700,000 troops by India in occupied Kashmir—one soldier for around 7-10 Kashmiris, depicted the Indian attitude on Kashmir. He agreed that a politically and economically stable Pakistan was in the favour of Kashmiris.
Addressing the special session, AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan said India was not only killing the Kashmiris in operations in occupied Kashmir but also continued its barbaric operations along the LoC, targeting innocent civilians of AJK through frequent unprovoked firing.
Expressing gratitude to President of Pakistan and the GB Chief Minister, Haider said that presence of President Arif Alvi had encouraged people of the AJK and sent a positive message across the LoC on Kashmir Solidarity Day.
He wished that it would had been great if Prime Minister Imran Khan and leader of the opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif would also have graced the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day in the liberated territory.
"When [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi recently visited Indian-Occupied Kashmir no one welcomed him there. But when Pakistani President visits AJK today he is accorded warm welcome by leaders of all political parties, irrespective of their political affiliations," he maintained.
The Prime Minister also lauded the role of armed forces of Pakistan for effectively defending the LoC and countering Indian shelling in a befitting way. The Kashmir solidarity day was observed with people ofJammu and Kashmir with great enthusiasm. The day dawned with special prayers in mosque for stability of Pakistan and early liberation of Jammu and Kashmir.
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